Tourism is going through the
roof. What is the City doing to balance the industry with quality of life
downtown?

In 2014, the City established
the Tourism Management and Ambassadorship Department to centralize tourism
related activities and proactively address issues associated with the rapid
growth of the industry while recognizing the need to protect the integrity of
our neighborhoods.

The department currently
administers three ordinances— Tour Service for Hire; Bicycles, Mopeds and
Skateboards (Quadricycles); and Horse Drawn Carriage. For the first time, the
City has three officers designated to enforcing these ordinances. Schedules have been developed to provide maximum coverage—Monday through
Friday, 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM and Saturdays, 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. After
hours operations are also randomly conducted throughout the year. The 2014 and 2015 TYD Citation
Activity Reports demonstrate the types of infractions issued to motorized and
non-motorized tours.

A tourism
hotline—912-525-1500—was created to allow residents and tour operators to reach
an on-duty supervisor when they encounter an issue. When a call is
received, enforcement officers mobilize and investigate. Frequently,
these calls result in a citation being issued.

The City uses informal and
formal groups to vet tourism related issues. The 13-member Tourism
Advisory Committee is appointed by City Council to make policy recommendations
to City officials. They are currently revising the tourism ordinances to
ensure the success of the tourism industry while protecting the quality of life
for our residents. TAC meetings are open to the public, summaries are
available here.